Growing Up
by Hikari102490
Summary: Sequel to Change. Aiden and Alice are now sixteen and life in the caves hasn’t changed much. Love is in the air though! How will Ian react to his little girl being in love?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own The Host or it's characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer

Summary: Sequel to Change. Aiden and Alice are now sixteen and life in the caves hasn't changed much. Love is in the air though! How will Ian react to his little girl being in love?

**Growing Up**

**Growing Up**

AlPOV:

Another boring day in the caves. I was helping Aiden and my mom plant seeds in the main plaza. Jeb wanted us to plant tomatoes and cucumbers this time. As I was planting seeds, in one of the corners of the field, I hear footsteps approach me. I look up to find Isaiah and Freedom standing above me covered in dust from working in a different field.

"Hey Allie," says Isaiah cheerfully. "Want some help?" I look away blushing and nod.

"That'd be great, Isaiah," I say sheepishly. Isaiah had become very handsome over the years. He was five years older than me, but down in the caves age didn't mean a whole lot. Freedom was also handsome and closer to my age, but he didn't appeal to me the way Isaiah did.

Both Isaiah and Freedom had tan skin from working in the sunny areas of the caves all day. Their hair was dark with highlights from the sun and messy from not being properly cut and brushed daily—which was their choice, we had brushes, but most of the guys chose not to use them. Isaiah had hazel eyes that always shone with mischief and happiness. Freedom's eyes were brown, but a pretty brown that was deep and looked like chocolate.

Isaiah was taller than Freedom by a few inches and his build was that of a man who worked hard everyday of his life for a long time. Freedom was also lean and muscular, but because he was younger his muscles were stringy. Their facial features were similar and according to their mother they looked just like their father. Isaiah had an older looking face than Freedom did, but they both had big, expressive eyes. They both had strong features though, that were perfect. They each had a perfect nose, perfect lips that were full—and in Isaiah's case, very kissable—and almost always smiling. Their jaws were strong and lead to lean necks and broad shoulders. Isaiah's shoulders and chest were broader than Freedom's though.

As Isaiah and Freedom got to work planting seeds I couldn't help but notice that Isaiah had a nice butt. Freedom did too, but Isaiah's was much better to look at. Then Aiden walks over carrying a bag of seeds. "Enjoying the view sis?" asks Aiden causing me to blush.

"Shut-up Aiden, what do you want?" I grumble going back to planting seeds.

"Came to check on you, wanted to see if you needed help, but it looks like you have enough," says Aiden with a huge 'shit-eatin' grin', as Jeb would call it. I resist the urge to pelt dirt at Aiden and resort to glaring at him instead.

Aiden was handsome—even though he's my brother and I don't like him like that—with black hair and ice-blue eyes like our dad. He was also built like my dad was at our age. He was the same height as Isaiah and could easily kick his butt in a fight—trust me it's happened before. Aiden's hair was well kept and cut nicely—he believed in looking nice all of the time, mainly to impress Mae. He looked almost identical to our dad—Jared said the O'Shea's had strong genes, especially the men—but he had a little of our mom in him too. He had her kindness and 'bubbliness' as Melanie calls it—Aiden hated that word when used to describe his personality, said it wasn't manly or something, but I had that bubbliness too and I didn't see what the big deal was.

He had a square jaw and his facial features were expressive, but strong as well. His neck was taught and his shoulders and chest broad for a sixteen year old. Over all he had the body of a boy you would find in a _Seventeen_ magazine—at least that was what Melanie had told me once. Apparently the magazine was banned because it gave teens a certain image that they should live up to and put down everyone else. Souls felt that everyone was beautiful no matter what so the magazine wasn't being fair or something, but that's not the point.

"Well I don't need your help, maybe Mae does; I heard she was in the kitchen today. They were getting ready to make potato soup for lunch," I say as I wipe my forehead with the back of my arm, which was covered in dirt from digging all morning. Aiden blushes and looks away.

"It's not like that with us Alice," insists Aiden.

"Not yet, but you want it to be," I say with a smirk. Mae was Melanie and Jared's daughter, born after Mel's birth control failed to work properly. They were proud parents though. Mae was a beautiful girl with brown hair and dark eyes exactly like Jared's, and were flecked with lighter shades of brown just like Jared. She looked like Melanie though and her build was like Melanie's as well. It was partially from working in the caves with the rest of us and partially because she had Melanie's genetics, according to Jamie. Jamie said that the women had athletic builds, but in a good way. They weren't scrawny or wiry like some athletes; Mae actually had curves and a body that would be found in a fashion magazine for swimsuits.

Once again, this was according to Melanie. She had decided to tell me about some of the magazines she liked to read before the end of the world—her words, not mine—and when I was confused about what models looked like she told me that some of the people in the caves could have easily become models because of their good looks and body structures. She went on to tell me that Aiden, Mae, and I would have easily become models had we grown up in a different time.

She had an infectious personality and was always smiling, just like Jared. She loved to laugh and smile and be happy. She hated to see others unhappy or hurt and always tried to make them feel better. Jared insisted that she got that from him and when he'd said it Melanie had smacked him, which I thought had proved his point, but I wasn't going to voice my opinion on that one. She wasn't very tall though, but she was also 14 years old, which could have something to do with it. She usually got the fairly easy chores, because she got tired easily doing the harder stuff, but when I was fourteen I had received the same sort of chores.

Aiden always insisted that he was nothing more than friends with Mae, but come on, he's my twin, I can hear the longing in his voice whenever he tells me that and I know he wants her, but he also knows that if he tried anything Jared would get Jeb's shot gun. Just like Isaiah knows that our dad keeps a metal baseball bat behind the mattress in his room. Kyle also has a wooden bat in his room and warned Isaiah that he was on our dad's side if he tried anything with me. What was it with dads and threatening guys who liked their daughters anyway?

Anyway, Mae and Aiden were meant to be together, I just knew it, and I was going to help them out one of these days. Besides, Mae was my best friend and had told me more than once that she was in love with Aiden, but made me promise not to tell anyone, and just as Aiden had made me do the same. So they were both unaware of the attraction they held for each other and I wasn't allowed to tell. It wasn't like other people didn't know; I mean you had to be blind to not notice they way they looked at each other.

"Whatever, I'm going to go see if dad needs help," grumbles Aiden. I giggle and go back to work.

APOV:

As I approach Alice to ask her if she needed help I noticed Isaiah and Freedom had beat me to it. Alice was staring at Isaiah with a faraway look in her eyes as he worked with his back to her. Then I notice that she was staring at his butt. "Enjoying the view sis?" I ask with a grin causing Alice to scowl at me.

"Shut-up Aiden, what do you want?" she asks. Alice was a beautiful girl, she really was. She had black hair like mine, but it was curly and went down to her waist. She also had mom's silver glow about her. She was smaller than me at 5' 2" compared to my 5' 10", but she had a nice body. Her eyes were vivid blue and expressive, while her nose was small, and her lips were full, but not too full. Over all she had an Elvin face—according to Jamie. Her jaw line was soft yet strong and her neck was slender.

I'd seen Isaiah staring at her body with appreciation. But so did Freedom and most of the other guys our age. Dad had made an attempt at hiding her body under baggy clothes once, but discovered that it didn't take away from her appearances. Speaking as a guy, Alice had a nice bust size and good curves. She had an athletic build from working in the caves, but it was still somewhat soft because she didn't work as hard as everyone else. Because of her small size she got worn out easily, but insisted on working in the fields just like everyone else. She wanted to do her part.

"Came to check on you, wanted to see if you needed help, but it looks like you have enough," I say with a grin. Of course Alice wasn't going to take my crap today and decided to turn the tables.

"Well I don't need your help, maybe Mae does; I heard she was in the kitchen today. They were getting ready to make potato soup for lunch," she says with a grin of her own, causing me to blush.

"It's not like that with us Alice," I insist with a scowl, that I don't think Alice took notice of. Mae was a beautiful girl and of course Alice was right, but I wasn't going to admit to it. Jared already threatened me with Jeb's shot gun, and I had a feeling that he wasn't kidding.

"Not yet, but you want it to be," says Alice cheekily. That wasn't really the point though. I had feelings for Mae, but I knew for a fact that she didn't share those feelings for me.

"Whatever, I'm going to go see if dad needs help," I mumble before walking away. Dad was helping Kyle and Jared plow the other field for corn and onions. Even though my mom could get all the produce we needed Jeb still liked the taste of fresh organic produce better. Jared complained that Jeb just liked making everyone work.

Either way everyone in the caves worked together to get all of Jeb's chores done. We tended to get most of the chores done in the morning and had the rest of the day to ourselves. Unless you was a teenager and had school like Alice, Mae, Freedom, and I, along with five others. Freedom was on his last year of school, but Alice and I were stuck in school until we were 18 so we had a little over a year and a half while Mae had almost four years.

We all complained about it, but Jeb always told us that a good education was important and if we ever made it out of these caves we'd be glad we got what we were given. We all disagreed, but we were smart enough not to tell Jeb that. He was a crazy old man that was for sure. Melanie would say that he was eccentric and not crazy though, but everyone disagreed with her and said he was crazy.

Overall, life in the caves wasn't so bad even if life above ground was better. We had everything we needed down here and everyone worked together well. I couldn't ask for a better family and friends.

End Chapter

**A/N: Thanks for reading chapter one of the sequel to Change. Sorry about the title, but those aren't my specialty at all. If you can think of a better one let me know and I'll change it. I decided to put a lot of descriptions into this chapter so you got a feel for the characters. Umm…with Isaiah and Freedom I guessed as to what they would look like. The book doesn't really give descriptions of them. As for Aiden, Alice, and Mae, I went by what their parents looked like and described these three characters accordingly. I hope you liked this chapter and I apologize for taking so long to start the sequel. Please review and feel free to ask questions and give me your opinions on stuff. Sayonara! =] **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

AlPOV:

I was above ground somewhere full of trees. I think Mel taught me about places like this before, what had she called it? A forest I think. I wasn't alone though. Isaiah was with me and we were standing by a small shallow river, no a stream, it was too small and shallow to be a river according to Mel. She knew all about living above ground and taught Aiden and I a lot.

"This is a good spot, don't you think?" asks Isaiah motioning towards the ground in front of us. I feel a pleasant jolt go straight to the bottom of my stomach and I blush before nodding. Isaiah smiles and lays a blanket down in the grass. I was looking around at our surroundings. It was beautiful each, much better than the barren desert I came to know and hate. It was so dry and it only rain once a year and then we were all stuck in the game room for a week.

"This place is beautiful," I breathe in awe at my surroundings.

"Not nearly as beautiful as you, Allie," says Isaiah with a smile that melted my heart. I blush and look at the small stream. There were small fish looking things with small back legs, so strange. I thought fish didn't have legs. Then I remembered learning about amphibians in class and realized that they were tadpoles. I could also see Isaiah's face coming closer to my own in our reflection in the water.

Surprised, my head shoots up and I turn my head just in time for Isaiah's lips to meet mine. My eyes widen as my lips part and Isaiah deepens the kiss. I blush as my tongue dances with his. Suddenly I was on my back and Isaiah was hovered over me. His mouth had moved from my lips to my throat and he was kissing it was open mouth kisses. I knot my hands in his hair and moan softly. Isaiah groans softly and kisses lower to my collarbone.

I had never felt such things before. The tightening in my stomach was new and the sensation that was between my legs was aching to be taken care of. I didn't know how to do that, but I had a feeling that Isaiah would know the answer. "Isaiah, what is this?" I gasp just as he begins to unbutton my shirt.

"What is what, Allie?" asks Isaiah as he kisses the top of my breast. I gasp and sit up in my bed looking around. The sensations from my dream were real and I could almost feel Isaiah's lips on my body. I was panting and looking around wildly hoping that it was only a dream. Once I realized it was I lie back down and look at the sky through the hole in the cave ceiling. I could hear Aiden's soft breathing in the other bed. I needed to talk to someone about this dream, but who could I tell? I was sure anyone who found out would think I was some sex crazed maniac. I'd never felt such things before, but I was sure this was what it felt like to want sex.

When we were taught about sex we had also been taught about how we would know when our bodies desired sexual intercourse as my mom had put it. She was very good at explaining things, especially embarrassing things like that. Our dad had tried, but he stuttered so bad that he had to walk away from the conversation. So our mom explained it to us and had blushed a lot, but she was able to explain it like she explained anything to our class.

She answered any questions we had to the best of her ability. Aiden was always the practical one of the two of us so he had asked her how we would know when we were ready. She told us that our bodies would begin changing. Of course this was when we were 13 so our bodies had really done a whole lot of changing, but they were trying to. She told me that I would begin to bleed every month for about a week and Aiden would start to become aroused when he saw a girl he was attracted to. The next year was full of surprises for the two of us.

I had asked what she had meant by our bodies making their needs known and she had tried to explain it, but was unable to. She told me that when a guy was ready he would become aroused and when a girl was ready that we did as well, but it wasn't quite as obvious. I hadn't known what she meant by that. She also said that I would feel a tightening in my stomach and a strange feeling between my legs, but she had been unable to describe the sensation.

Never before had I felt those things, but tonight I had. Apparently my body wanted Isaiah sexually, but I had never even kissed him! I crawl over to Aiden's bed hoping that he could tell me what to do about my feelings. When I get into his bed he wakes up and looks at me groggily. "What do you want Alice?" mumbles Aiden groggily.

"I had a strange dream Aiden," I admit blushing. Aiden reaches over and turns on the lantern so that he could see me better I guess.

"What was it about?" asks Aiden as he sits up. So I explain the whole dream to him not leaving anything out. By the end I was blushing harder than I have ever before. Aiden chuckles causing me to scowl at him. I didn't see what was so funny about this. "It's a good thing that was just a dream, I bet if it was real dad would come with a baseball bat and ruin it."

"This is no time for jokes Aiden," I retort. "What am I supposed to do?" Aiden clears his throat and looks down embarrassed.

"I think this is something that you should talk to mom about," says Aiden blushing. Was whatever I was supposed to do about this that embarrassing? If it was I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.

"Do you ever have those kinds of dreams?" I ask before I could help myself. Aiden blushes again and nods.

"Yes, frequently," he admits. This made me feel slightly better knowing that I wasn't the only one that had these dreams.

"And what do you do?" I ask. I wanted to know, but if Aiden didn't want to tell me I wouldn't push him.

"You'll have to talk to mom. I talked to dad after I had the first dream and he told me what I should do, but he won't be able to help you," says Aiden. He was obviously trying to change the subject so I let it go. Suddenly we hear the bed move in our parent's room and mom walks into the room.

"What are you two doing up?" asks mom obviously worried.

"Alice had a weird dream," says Aiden before I could say that nothing was wrong causing me to blush.

"Was it a nightmare?" asks my mom walking over and sitting down on my bed. Aiden stands up all of a sudden.

"I have to pee," says Aiden quickly before he rushes out the door. I heard him whispering to dad in the other room and suddenly dad was poking his head in the room.

"I have to use the restroom Wanda, I'll be back in a while," says my dad before running out of the cave. I blush again and look away.

"So tell me about your dream," says mom as she beckons me to my bed. I walk over and sit next to her and begin blushing. I tell her about my dream. It was a bit harder to talk to her about than it was Aiden, but probably because I was always able to tell Aiden anything, just as he could tell me anything. By the end of my story my mom seemed to be thinking.

"What happened tonight is perfectly normal and you'll find that it'll happen again. When it does you can easily care for it on your own," says mom. The way she was talking I could tell that she had gone into teacher mode again. By the time we were done talking I was glad Aiden hadn't told me anything and let mom do it. It was a lot more embarrassing than I had thought and I wasn't sure that I ever wanted to take her advice.

The next morning I was tired as I worked in the kitchen kneading dough for bread. As I was working Isaiah walks in carrying two bags of flour over his shoulders. He was also shirtless and I could see that he'd been working out when he had free time. I also began to feel more of what I had felt last night in my dream and I couldn't look at Isaiah anymore.

Trying to hide the fact that I was trying to avoid Isaiah I go back to kneading dough. "Hey Allie," says Isaiah cheerfully. I blush at the nickname Isaiah had given me a long time ago and he had used in my dream last night.

"Hey Isaiah," I murmur as I knead the dough faster.

"So…bread making today huh? Why are you all by yourself?" asks Isaiah as he sets the bags down. Count on Isaiah to notice I was alone today. Or maybe it was my hormones taking notice that he had noticed. I wasn't sure, but it made me want to reenact my dream.

"Umm…the others are taking a break. For some reason the heat is making everyone tired today," I say as I start forming the dough into rolls.

"Well, I'm all done with my chores today, I could help you," says Isaiah huskily as he walks over to me and places his hands on my waist gently. My breathing hitches and I blush as the feeling from that dream become stronger.

"I'm all right," I gasp as I continue what I was doing.

"What's wrong Allie? You seem distracted," says Isaiah. I could tell by his tone that he was concerned.

"I'm fine Isaiah, and I don't need help," I say as I put the tray in the oven.

"Come on Allie, you can talk to me," says Isaiah forcing me to turn around and look at him. I blush and look down.

"There's nothing to talk about," I say embarrassed.

"Then look me in the eyes and say that," says Isaiah placing his hand under my chin and pushing my head up slightly. I look into his eyes that were a soft gold today and I had no choice but to blush again. "Why are you blushing?"

"Umm…." There was no way I was going to tell Isaiah how I felt about him. He reaches up and brushes my hair from my face and the feeling goes straight to my stomach. "I have to get back to work," I blurt before turning back around and getting back to work. Just then I hear footsteps coming into the kitchen.

"Alice, I was just coming to see if you need any help," says mom all of a sudden causing me to blush even harder. "Oh, hello Isaiah."

"Hey Wanda," says Isaiah.

"Hi mom," I mumble as I work.

"Am I interrupting something?" asks mom. I notice Isaiah open his mouth to speak and quickly interrupt him.

"No Isaiah was just bringing more flour. I'd love your help," I say quickly. I notice Isaiah's face fall slightly before turning into a scowl and then he leaves. I was relieved that he was gone, but I also felt bad that I had upset him.

"What's going on, Alice?" asks mom.

"I can't get my dream out of my head I guess," I whisper as I form more dough into rolls.

"Isaiah really cares for you Alice. maybe that dream was trying to tell you something," says mom causing me to blush once again. I was beginning to think my face was going to be permanently red. I had a feeling that mom might be right about Isaiah though. I love him, I could see that now. Now I could only hope that Isaiah felt the same way for me.

End chapter

**A/N: Thanks for reading. This is more or less Aiden and Alice's story and this chapter is probably as close to a lemon as I'll get. I don't know yet. The next chapter will probably be Aiden's problems. But they won't be the only characters I focus on. I'll focus on the other characters as well since this is The Host and the other characters are just as important. I wrote this while listening to a rock opera called **_**Repo: The Genetic Opera**_** which is a strange music with decent music…from the makers of **_**Saw**_**. It has the girl from Spy Kids in it…so if you want to see what she's been up to and you like Rated R movies go for it…or if your gothic and into blood and gore…messed up right? Lol…okay so back on topic! Umm…I know I need to start the sequel to Taboo, and I will just as soon as I think of a title…so if anyone has any suggestions, let me know, because I'm having issues. Also, I'll probably do a little one chapter story that's supposed to be funny, I'm writing a rough draft for it. What do you think Emmett would possibly fear? I'll bet you won't guess! LOL…so…umm…review and let me know if u can think of a title for a sequel to Taboo…credit to whoever thinks of it! Sayonara! =]**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

APOV:

I had to irrigate the fields today with dad, Freedom, Isaiah, Jamie, Mel, Jared, Jeb and various other members of the caves. As I was working Mae walks in pulling a wagon with two coolers and cups on it. She was obviously in charge of drinks for everyone today.

"Okay, everyone, take a ten minute break then back to work!" barks Jeb before walking towards Mae. Everyone else follows his lead talking amongst themselves. As I was walking over Freedom comes up beside me with a grin.

"Where's Alice at today?" asks Freedom. It was no secret that Freedom liked Alice, even Alice knew it and had told him on more than one occasion that she wasn't interested. That was because she liked Isaiah, of course Freedom didn't seem to know that—or he was in denial, I didn't know for sure.

"I believe she's in the kitchen today," I say as we approach Mae. Freedom gets a drink before walking away. Then it was my turn.

"Lemonade or water?" asks Mae as she picks up a cup.

"Surprise me," I say with a grin. Mae smiles before pouring lemonade into my cup and hands it to me. "Thanks."

"So how's field work today?" asks Mae looking at the field. We were almost done with this field, but still had more to go.

"It's way too hot to be doing field work today. The heat had everyone in a bad mood. Fights keep breaking out over nothing and Jeb keeps saying he's going to get his shot gun out if we can't get along," I say in exasperation.

"I don't think it's ever been this hot," says Mae grabbing my cup from me and taking a drink of it before handing it back to me. "Thanks," say says with a cheeky grin.

"Brandt said it's global warming. I'm not exactly sure what that means but apparently there's this huge hole in the ozone from people polluting the air and stuff. Anyway, ozone layer is what shields the earth from the worst of the sun's rays and without it the earth has been getting hotter and hotter every year. He also said the oceans are getting deeper and places on the coasts are losing land," I explain.

"Thank you teacher," says Mae sarcastically, but she also had a grin on her face. She was so beautiful. It was no surprise that the other guys our age always looked at her with appreciation. In turn Jared would often shoot daggers at the boys who he found staring at her. Even I have been a recipient of Jared's glares, but I didn't care. I only cared about Mae.

"So I think tonight is soccer, want to be on my team?" I ask.

"How can you be so sure I'll get on your team?" asks Mae.

"It's my turn to be team captain. Alice is the other team captain," I say with a grin.

"Sure, but if Alice picks me first don't be disappointed," says Mae as she refills my cup before taking a drink and handing it to me. I grin and take a drink just before Jeb calls everyone back to work. "I have to go to the kitchen now." With that said Mae pulls the wagon away.

By the end of the day I had a black eye because Brandt got mad and punched me when I had dumped his water bucket on accident. But in my defense I couldn't see over the bags of fertilizer I was trying to carry. Dad had gotten mad and Brandt ended up with a broken nose for all of his trouble.

When we walked into the cafeteria that evening for dinner mom was shocked to see the bruise forming around my eye and down the side of my face. "Oh my god what happened?!" screeches mom as she walks over to me and inspects my face.

"Brandt got pissed off and punched him for accidentally dumping his water bucket," says Ian as mom leads me back to the kitchen where the freezer was. Thanks to all of the generators we were able to get fridges and freezers to store some of the perishables.

"I'm fine mom," I say as she pulls an ice pack out of the freezer and lays in against the bruise still forming on my face.

"This is _not_ fine, Aiden," says mom sternly. "He could have broken you jaw, or worse."

"Well dad broke his nose, so I think we're even," I say as I hold the ice pack myself. "Everyone was sort of in a bad mood today anyway. It was bound to happen."

"You're just a kid though," says mom obviously still having a mini panic attack.

"I'm almost an adult," I say puffing out my chest. Mom laughs and nudges me playfully before kissing my cheek and walking towards the cafeteria. It didn't take long to find our usual group sitting at one of our usual tables. After getting our trays we walk over to the table and I sit between Alice and Mae.

"What happened to your face?!" asks Mae suddenly concerned.

"Dad said that Brandt punched him today while they were irrigating the field," says Alice nonchalantly enough for Mae, but I could hear the concern she felt towards me.

"Well dad took care of it so no worries," I say with a grin trying to ease both of them.

"Let me see," says Mae gently touching my face and turning it so that she can get a better look at my bruise. "It looks really bad already. I'm sure it'll be worse tomorrow."

"I'll live right?" I say feigning worry. I watch Mae's expression soften as she nods.

"You should make a full recovery," says Mae. Mae was always saying that she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up, and Doc tried to teach her everything he knew so that when he could no longer be a doctor Mae could take his place.

He was always coming up with old medical journals for her and mom would look for books for her when she went on Raids. She was going to make a fine doctor some day. Suddenly Isaiah walks over to our table and sits across from Alice who blushes.

"Hey Allie, Mae…Aiden," says Isaiah smiling at Alice who was blushing even more. Ever since she'd had that dream she couldn't be near Isaiah without blushing.

"Hey Isaiah," says Mae cheerfully.

"Are you guys playing soccer today?" asks Isaiah.

"Yeah. It's mine and Alice's turn to be captains," I say before taking a bite of my sandwich.

"Awesome. So Allie, will you pick me to be on your team?" asks Isaiah suggestively causing me to growl. Alice of course heard me and begins to glare at me.

"Sounds good," says Alice with a grin.

"Awesome," says Isaiah winking at Alice before walking away. Then Freedom walks over and takes Isaiah's seat.

"What did he want?" asks Freedom.

"To be Alice's team today," I say causing Freedom's mouth to fall open in surprise followed by a pout.

"Fine, can I be on yours Aid?" asks Freedom. I nod and Freedom grins. He obviously wanted an excuse to fight with Isaiah. They were always fighting over Alice, even though it was no competition since Isaiah already won Alice's heart.

"So how was kitchen work Alice?" asks Freedom turning his attention to Alice who was eating.

"Boring. I had to make bread," says Alice with a sigh.

"Tomorrow we have school all day," says Freedom.

"Yeah, mom's teaching tomorrow. I think we might get a test too," says Alice disdainfully before taking a bite of her food.

"You act like it's the end of the world or something. At least we get an education," says Mae.

"If you haven't noticed it _is_ the end of the world," says Freedom. "Those soul things are still out there taking over the world. We're lucky we haven't been found yet." Freedom's mom wasn't a big fan of the souls, no one was, and most of the people here spoke their minds about the souls. We knew that our mom was one of them, so it always got to Alice and I a little bit, but we had gotten used to it over the years. Alice could actually tell when a soul wasn't in full control of a body and we'd take them to Doc to have the soul extracted and taken to a different planet. Thanks to Alice we had a high success rate. Once the body was awake we would try to help them regain their memories and then they could meet other humans and pick a permanent residence with one of the other groups of humans or stay with us.

Jeb still worked hard to increase the size of the caves and sometimes we would get lucky and find another air pocket. We even came across a spring with water that was safe to drink and tasted better than our other water. We really did have quite the life down here.

After dinner everyone who wanted to play soccer went to the game room and Jeb announced that Alice and I would be captains. Then he flipped a coin and I won so I could pick first. "Mae," I say and she walks over to me.

"Isaiah," says Alice.

"Freedom."

"Mom."

"Dad…" and so on we went until we had two teams.

"Let the games begin," says Alice with a grin as Jeb tosses the ball between us.

End Chapter

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Sorry if it's not all that great, I wasn't really feeling this chapter so I was winging it. Next chapter will probably be the soccer game. I updated my profile so now you can find me on facebook, myspace, youtube, and some other sights I have accounts on. There's also my e-mail if you need to ask me anything. If I remember I'll add my AIM screen name so that you can IM me sometime if you feel inclined to. =D I love making friends so there you go. I'll try to be faster next time. Thanks for all of the great reviews! Sayonara! =]**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

IPOV:

The soccer game was really heating up for some reason. I was on Allie's team and we were behind by one point. Everyone was taunting each other as we played in the dim lights of the solar lights. My mind wasn't really on the game though, it was on Alice. She'd been acting strangely towards me since the other day and I wasn't sure why. Did she finally catch onto my feelings for her and wanted to let me down easily? I had thought she liked me as much as I liked her, but maybe I was just flattering myself.

She really was beautiful though, with her blue eyes that I could look into all day, and her dark, curly hair. Her slender neck and perfect curves, legs that went on for miles despite the fact that she was only five feet tall. She was truly a goddess and I worshiped her. I would do anything for Alice, all she had to do was ask. "Isaiah ball!" shouts Alice all of a sudden pulling me out of my thoughts and back into the game just in time to notice the ball was coming right at my face. I block it with my arms before kicking it towards the goal.

The goalie was Jamie and he hadn't seen the ball coming so now we were tied. Alice cheers and runs over to me before throwing her arms around my neck. "Whoo you did it!" she cheers before letting go of me and going back to the game. If that hug hadn't been enough to get me to try to win I don't know what would be. I would do anything to keep Alice that happy, and when she'd hugged me she felt so warm and soft.

I spent the rest of the game focusing on winning. Unfortunately Aiden made the winning goal for his team and Jeb had called the end of the game. It was getting late and we had work and the kids had school so we had to be getting to bed. Alice was a little depressed about the loss so I decided to try to cheer her up. When I approached her she blushed and looked down.

"Hey Allie. That was a pretty good game," I say with a smile.

"It would have been better if we had won," says Alice.

"Yeah, but it was still fun," I say. Alice smiles and nods her head in agreement. "So umm…I was hoping we could talk."

"Actually, my dad would probably get upset if I didn't go with him to our cave," says Alice sheepishly.

"It won't take long," I insist. Usually she was all over spending time with me alone and she didn't usually care what her dad thought of it.

"Well why can't we talk here?" asks Alice.

"Because I don't want you to be embarrassed by what I want to ask you…"

"Fine, but we can't talk long. You have two minutes," says Alice pulling me into an empty corridor. "Two minutes."

"Okay…I guess I'll come out and ask…Why do you keep avoiding me lately? Did I do something to upset you?" I ask.

"No, of course not," says Alice quickly. I couldn't see her very well in the dark corridor, but I could tell that I had definitely embarrassed her.

"So what's wrong then? We used to have a lot of fun hanging out and stuff. Then out of nowhere you don't want anything to do with me. If you don't like me or something…you can tell me…I can take it," I say nervously. What if she really did dislike me? Could I really take the truth?

"It's nothing," whispers Alice sadly. I reach out and caress her cheek. It was warm from her blushing.

"You can tell me anything Alice. I hope you know that and feel as though you can. I don't want you to doubt that," I say brushing her hair from her face.

"It was just a stupid dream I had!" blurts Alice in an sudden act of chagrin.

"What was your dream about?" I ask.

"Us," whispers Alice as she leans into my touch on her cheek.

"What were we doing?" I ask trying to sound open and inviting. I didn't want her to know just where my mind was suddenly going. Did she have one of _those_ dreams about me?

"Kissing…and you was touching me…and I felt funny," she admits. She really did have one of those dreams!

"Dreams like that are nothing to be ashamed of, Allie," I whisper huskily before cursing myself for the huskiness.

"That's what my mom said," whispers Alice her face heating up again. "Your two minutes are up."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow," I say before walking away. As an adult I got my own cave so that was where I went. Freedom lived in the cave right next to mine and our mother shared a cave with Candy. When I enter my cave I turn on my lantern and lie down on my bed before sighing. Alice was embarrassed about the dream she'd had about me. I couldn't blame her. Down here in the caves we weren't exactly introduced to sex or drugs or alcohol or anything like that like teens used to be before the aliens took over.

While I was sure she knew the basics, she still didn't know everything. I sigh again just as Freedom walks in. "Hey can I talk to you?" asks Freedom.

"Yeah, sure," I say sitting up and facing him.

"What's with you and Alice?" asks Freedom.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"You're always flirting with her," says Freedom. I wasn't going to deny that.

"So?"

"So…stay away from her! She's _mine_," says Freedom glaring at me. I roll my eyes and shake my head in disbelief.

"Alice doesn't like you like that, Freedom," I say with a sigh. "And if she heard you say that I'm pretty sure she'd be pissed."

"Don't change the subject! Alice is mine and you need to stay away from her," demands Freedom. He was obviously in denial.

"I'm not staying away from her, Freedom," I say looking away from him. "As long as she wants me around I'm going to be there for her." Suddenly Freedom's fist makes contact with my eye and I fall over from the impact. "What the hell was that for?!"

"If you're not going to listen to me then fight me for her!" barks Freedom standing up. I sigh heavily and wave him off dismissively.

"I'm not going to fight you for her. The fight is already won," I say. "Mae is cute, try getting her to like you."

"If you think she's cute then _you_ flirt with her, Alice is mine and you can't have her," insists Freedom before jumping on me. We begin wrestling around on the floor and suddenly Freedom was on top of me with his hands around my neck. It was obvious that he wasn't going to let go either. I try pulling his hands away but they wouldn't budge. Then I shift a little and bring my knee up so it makes contact with Freedom's crotch. He wheezes and falls over letting go of my throat and holding himself as he fought to not cry.

"Get out of here, Freedom," I say darkly. Freedom crawls out of my room and I lay back down rubbing my neck. I sigh heavily. So now Freedom was under the impression that Alice was his. That could cause problems later, but whether the problems would be for me or Alice I wasn't really sure. The thought that Freedom could become trouble for Alice had me worried though. I'd have to talk to our mom about him. Maybe she could talk to him.

Deciding that it was getting late I climb under the covers and turn off my lantern before falling asleep. As I slept I began to dream of Alice. _We were in a forest by a stream lying in the grass and I was kissing Alice. She was hesitant at first, but as we progressed she became braver. Then I stop kissing her lips and make my way down her neck to her collar bone. Alice was moaning at my touch and I was becoming aroused. _

_"Isaiah, what is this?" asks Alice as I unbutton her shirt. _

_"What is what, Allie?" I ask as I kiss the top of her breast. _

_"This feeling! What are we doing?" asks Alice. Then I realize that while she was sixteen she was still inexperienced and had no idea what I had planned for her. I groan and roll onto my back and away from her. _

The sudden turn of events in the dream causes me to wake up and look around my room. I sigh heavily and lie back down just as I hear someone approaching the opening of my cave. Curious, I stand up and walk over to the opening, pulling back the blanket I was using as a door and looking out just as Alice reaches my door. "What are you doin up so late?" I ask.

"I need to talk to you," whispers Alice.

End Chapter

**A/N: thanks for reading chapter four of Growing Up. Would have posted this when I posted Sanity and Strange Happenings, but I forgot I had started it. Sorry about that. Next chapter will be in Alice's POV I think…then maybe I'll go to Freedom's POV…I haven't really decided yet. So…anyone else getting a lot of rain? I've been getting rain where I live like every day, and let me tell you, if Forks' weather is anything like Ohio weather in the fall and winter…I don't blame Bella for hating it. Usually it seems like Ohio is on the verge of a drought right about now and I think it's aiming for floods instead! All of this rain has kept me inside with nothing to do but write so I guess that's a good thing. Well, tell me your thoughts, ask questions, give advice…whatever you want, as long as it's in the form of a review! Sayonara! =D **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

AlPOV:

I didn't know what possessed me to go to Isaiah's cave in the middle of the night, but I needed to talk to him about the dream I'd had the other day. I needed to talk about the possibility of 'us' and figure out what was next. I was nervous as hell as I walked down the corridor that led to Isaiah's room, but I couldn't back out now. As I approached the cave Isaiah slept in he came out with a concerned expression on his face.

"What are you doing up so late?" he asks as I approach him.

"We need to talk," I say shakily. I was determined to talk to him, and it had to be now, before I could change my mind.

"Okay, come in then," says Isaiah stepping aside and holding the curtain back for me. I walk in and sit down on the bed. Isaiah sits next to me, but I couldn't really see him in the darkness of the cave.

"Can't you turn on a light?" I ask.

"Sure, but if someone notices my light on they might come investigate and when they see us together they'll tell Ian," says Isaiah. I could feel his weight shift as he reached for his light, but I stopped him by pulling on his arm.

"Don't!" I whisper. I would just have to talk to him without being able to see him I guess. It would be easier since he wouldn't be able to tell how embarrassed I was.

"Okay," says Isaiah as his weight shifts again. I could feel his gaze on me and blush.

"Umm…sorry if I woke you up," I whisper.

"You didn't, Allie. I was already awake," says Isaiah.

"Why?" I ask. I was curious, but I was also procrastinating a little.

"I just had a dream that sort of freaked me out," admits Isaiah.

"What was it about?" I ask.

"It was about us. We were kissing and you asked me what was going on and I realized that I was taking advantage of you so I stopped and woke up," says Isaiah. "I hope you know that I would never take advantage of you, Allie."

"I know you wouldn't. It sounds like you had a dream similar to the one I had," I admit.

"Yeah…or maybe the _same_ dream," teases Isaiah.

"I suppose it's possible," I say warily. Isaiah doesn't say anything else and I could tell that my time for procrastinating was over and I had to talk. "Isaiah, I came to tell you…how I feel."

"Okay," says Isaiah hesitantly.

"I don't know how to say it though," I admit, blushing.

"Just tell me," says Isaiah encouragingly.

"Umm…okay. I really, really, really like you Isaiah. I like you as more than just a friend. Lately, whenever I think about you my heart beats fast and I get butterflies and I start feeling like I did when I had that dream," I admit, blushing furiously. "I guess what I really want to say is that…I think I love you." Isaiah was quiet for a long time after this was said and I begin to panic and worry that I had said too much and scared Isaiah away. I wouldn't be able to live with that though.

"Alice," says Isaiah cupping my cheek in his large, warm hand. I immediately lean into his hand. "I feel the same way about you." My eyes widen in surprise. Had I heard him correctly?

"Really?" I breathe.

"Yes," says Isaiah with so much conviction that I knew he was telling the truth. Then I realized that I had to get back to my cave before anyone realized that I was gone.

"I have to go," I whisper. "If my dad notices that I'm gone he'll come here first."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, Allie," says Isaiah before kissing my cheek. I blush and stand up before going to my room. I was so happy that things were going in my favor right now. When I enter my cave I go straight to my room and crawl back in my bed, but I was too excited to sleep so I get out of bed and crawl over to Aiden's bed and begin shaking him gently.

"What is it Alice?" mumbles Aiden groggily.

"Wake up, I want to talk to you," I whisper. Aiden groans, but sits up and turns on a small flashlight before shining it in my face. I was so happy that I was on the verge of tears.

"What's wrong?" asks Aiden immediately noticing the moisture in my eyes.

"I spoke to Isaiah," I whisper excitedly. "I told him how I feel about him."

"You snuck out to speak to him?" asks Aiden a little upset that I would do something like that.

"Yeah," I say. "And he said that he felt the same way!" Aiden smiles and shakes his head before hugging me.

"I love you, Alice, I hope you know that," says Aiden his grip on me tightening.

"I know, Aiden, and I love you too," I whisper.

"If he hurts you I won't hesitate, Alice. I'll beat the shit out of him," says Aiden darkly and I knew he meant it.

"Okay," I whisper holding Aiden tighter. "Now you just need to tell Mae how you feel about her." Aiden groans and pushes me away before ruffling my hair.

"No way Alice. I can't tell Mae how I feel," says Aiden.

"Why?" I ask incredulously.

"She's way out of my league, Alice," says Aiden just as the light in our parents' room turns on and our dad walks in looking tired.

"What are you two doing up?" asks Dad before yawning.

"I couldn't sleep," I say, which wasn't a lie, but it was only half of the truth too. Suddenly dad's expression was one of concern.

"Did you have a bad dream sweetheart?" asks Dad as he walks over and pulls me up into a bear hug. "Don't worry angel it wasn't real."

"Dad it wasn't that! I just couldn't sleep!" I gasp as he sits me back onto the bed where Aiden was laughing at me. I glare at him before slapping his arm.

"Shut-up it's not funny," I grumble as Aiden yelps and rubs his arm.

"Are you sure it wasn't a bad dream?" asks Dad still concerned.

"I'm sure, Dad," I whisper before yawning suddenly very tired.

"Okay pumpkin. Try to go back to sleep, no more talking it's late," he says before kissing my head and walking out. I roll my eyes and crawl back to my own bed before lying down and covering up.

"Night Aiden, thanks for being there for me again," I whisper.

"Anytime sis," says Aiden before turning off the flashlight and rolling over onto his side with his back facing me. I sigh and roll over before falling asleep as well.

The next day at lunch I was sitting with Aiden and Mae when Isaiah walks over and sits down with his tray. That's when I noticed. "Isaiah your eye!" I gasp when I notice the large bruise under his eye. Then I notice the bruises around his neck shaped like fingers. "What happened?"

"I got in a little fight last night, but I'm okay," says Isaiah with a grin.

"No one tries to strangle someone in a 'little fight'," I say. "Who were you fighting and why?" Isaiah sighs heavily.

"Freedom's mad because you like me. He says you're his girl and I should stay away. When I said no he punched me and then got me down and tried to choke me. The only thing I did was try to get him off of me, so I kneed him in the groin and he left," says Isaiah quickly before going back to eating.

"Maybe I should talk to him," I say uncertainly.

"I already told mom about it and she said she'd talk to him about it, but she also told me that I was too old for you," says Isaiah.

"You're not too old for me. Don't listen to that. Age shouldn't matter in the caves," I say.

"Your mom is probably stuck in the ways before the aliens took over," says Mae.

"I guess," says Isaiah. Soon Freedom walks over and sits next to me, but I ignore him. I wasn't very happy that he would hurt Isaiah and try to claim me. I wasn't a dog or a prize to be won, but that was how Freedom was acting.

"Hi Alice," says Freedom cheerfully. I don't say anything as I continue to eat my lunch. "What's wrong?"

"Look at your brother's neck and eye," I say coldly before going back to eating. Aiden, Mae, and Isaiah were watching me, and I could feel the tension in the atmosphere of the group.

"I didn't mean to hurt him that much," says Freedom quietly. "Sorry 'Saiah." He sounded sincere, but I was still upset with him.

"You and I need to talk Freedom," I say standing up with my empty tray. "Meet me in the plaza when you're done eating." With that I leave the room after putting my tray with all of the others.

End Chapter

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you liked it, sorry I took so long. Been busy with college stuff and my sister's baby…thoughts, concerns, questions, suggestions? Leave a review1 Sayonara! =] **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

ALPOV:

As I stood in the plaza looking at the tomatoes, Jeb had planted, I heard someone approach me and clear his throat. When I looked over Freedom was standing about four feet away from me. "You wanted to talk?" asks Freedom.

"I'm not yours Freedom. I don't belong to you or anyone else," I say angrily. Freedom looked at me as though he had no idea what I was talking about. This only angers me more so I slap him. Suddenly Freedom looked murderous.

"You're wrong Alice," he growls. "You don't belong to anyone _but me_." This new side of Freedom was frightening. What was wrong with him? What suddenly made him act this way? As I was wondering about his attitude I hadn't noticed Freedom walk behind me and wrap his arms around my waist.

"NO! I'm not a pet or a prize to be won! I'm a human being and as such I belong to no one but myself!" I shout angrily before whirling around with the intention of slapping Freedom again, but when I turned his fist hits me first knocking me to the floor. I cry out in pain as my arm hits the ground, taking most of my weight. Then I was suddenly being pulled back to my feet and Freedom had his arms wrapped around me.

"You were saying?" murmurs Freedom in my ear. I gasp as I try to pull away from Freedom, but he was stronger than I was.

"Get away from me!" I gasp as I try to push him off of me. It didn't work though and suddenly I was being dragged into the room with the river. I continue to struggle which only seems to make Freedom angrier.

"Knock it off!" growls Freedom.

"What are you doing?" I ask as he forces me closer to the river.

"If I can't have you no one can," says Freedom as he holds me over the river. Something in my gut told me that Freedom really would throw me in the river if I didn't cooperate with him. All I could think about at that moment was that I was too young to die, and that the death Freedom had planned for me was a horrible way to go. So I decided to give him what he wanted, if only temporarily.

"Okay!" I gasp desperately. "I'll let you have me! I'm yours!"

"Good girl," says Freedom pulling me away from the edge. "My beautiful Alice…If you tell anyone about this I promise it will be the last thing you ever get to do." Then he whirls me around so that I'm facing him and kisses me before pulling me, by my wrist, out into the plaza which was still empty. "Now go tell Isaiah that you're with me now. If he asks, tell him that you have finally realized your feelings for me." Then he pushed me away from him causing me to stumble and fall to the ground. I whimper as pain shoots up my already injured arm and watch as Freedom leaves the room.

Once he was gone I went and looked for Isaiah. I wasn't sure what I would say to him though once I found him. Would I obey Freedom or would I tell Isaiah what had just happened? As pain shot through my arm again. Then an image of the river flashes in my mind and I shudder at the memory of my near death experience. At that moment I knew…I would do what Freedom asked of me, at least for a little longer.

When I found Isaiah he was talking to Aiden and Jamie. "There you are," says Isaiah cheerfully as I slowly approach him. As I get closer to them I watch as their facial expressions go from joy to horror. "What happened to your eye?!" demands Isaiah taking me by the arms.

"I tripped," I whisper looking away, unable to look at Isaiah as I was about to lie. "I wanted to talk to you. Alone."

"Okay," says Isaiah gently leading me away from Aiden and Jamie. Once we were far enough away, Isaiah stops and tries to look into my eyes, but I look away. "What's up?"

"I wanted to tell you that I'm going to be Freedom's girlfriend," I say looking at Isaiah, but avoiding his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" asks Isaiah.

"I realize that I love Freedom," I say, my voice cracking. I couldn't take it anymore; the guilt of the moment was too much to bear! After jerking away from Isaiah's grip on my wrist I run away, to my room where I find Freedom sitting on my bed.

"Did you talk to him?" asks Freedom, and I couldn't hold back any longer. The tears that I had been holding back couldn't be contained any longer and I begin to sob uncontrollably. Suddenly a set of arms was being wrapped around me and I cry in Freedom's chest.

"I know it's hard, but it's also for the best," says Freedom trying to soothe me, but it only made things worse.

"How is this for the best?" I demand in a sudden rage as I jerk myself out of Freedom's embrace to glare at him. "How is telling the man I love that I don't love him for the best?!"

"It just is, you'll see," says Freedom.

"I don't like this side of you, Freedom. What happened to the sweet Freedom who was my friend?" I ask.

"I'm right here," says Freedom. "I haven't gone anywhere."

"The Freedom I know wouldn't have laid a finger on me!" I shout angrily. Suddenly I was pinned to the floor and Freedom was on top of me looking furious.

"Shut-up! You stupid girl!" Then he slapped me. "You belong to me now and you will do everything I say."

"Go to hell!" I shout before being punched.

"You'll learn," says Freedom before standing up. "Now come on, we have chores." With that said he leaves the room leaving me crying on the floor with a bloody lip. He was serious about this, I was positive. If I didn't do anything and everything Freedom asked me to do I was going to be punished. How was I going to explain this to my parents though? I couldn't always say that I fell, could I?

After a few minutes I decided to pick myself up off of the floor before going to Doc. When I arrived he was writing something in a notebook, I assumed it was about spirits, more of his statistics. "Doc?" I ask. "Is right now a bad time?"

"Of course not Alice, just give me a moment and I'll be right with you," says Doc motioning towards a cot. I walk over and sit down so I can begin to wait for his help. When he finally turned around I could see the shock on his face as he took in my appearance.

"Alice what happened?" asks Doc.

"I was clumsy," I say as he walks over to me and begins to inspect my wounds.

"Can you move your arm?" asks Doc as he gently touches my injured arm. I hadn't really thought of it before so when I try I was shocked to find that I couldn't and it hurt. The pain was unendurable and caused me to gasp in pain as tears stung my eyes.

"No," I say my voice cracking.

"It's broken," says Doc simply. "Unfortunately I can't help you very much, the best I can do is put your arm in a splint until you can get to an actual hospital."

"How will I do that?" I ask as Doc walks around his office looking for something to use as a splint.

"I'll have to talk to Jeb and Jared," says Doc coming back with two rulers and a wrap. After he splints my arm he treats my other wounds before telling me to stay where I was while he looked for Jeb. After a while Isaiah and Aiden walk in and I notice that Aiden was favoring his left leg and Isaiah was supporting him.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Aiden tripped over a shovel and twisted his ankle," says Isaiah as he helps Aiden to a cot. "Where's Doc?"

"He went to look for Jeb and Jared," I say as I mess with the wrap on my arm.

"What really happened?" asks Isaiah.

"I fell," I say defensively.

"Falling doesn't leave someone that injured. Not to mention, you've been acting strangely ever since you spoke with my brother. What happened?" insists Isaiah.

"He pushed me," I whisper. "I fell on my arm…twice."

"Did he force you to become his girlfriend?" demands Aiden causing me to nod.

"He threatened to throw me into the river if I didn't do as he said. I could tell he meant it," I whisper. Just then Jeb and Jared walked in followed by Doc.

"What are you two doing here?" asks Jared looking at Aiden and Isaiah.

"We think Aiden twisted his ankle when he tripped over a shovel," says Isaiah. Doc nods and walks over to Aiden to inspect his ankle.

"Alice, I know your arm hurts, but we'll have to wait until nightfall to take you to a hospital," says Jared sympathetically.

"I understand," I say.

"Until then we'll give you a sling," says Doc as he continues to look at Aiden's ankle.

"Okay," I say.

"Jeb, can I speak with you?" asks Isaiah motioning towards the entrance of the cave.

"Course you can," says Jeb following him out of the cave. I had a feeling that Freedom was going to be in a lot of trouble very soon. While it wasn't my intention to get him in trouble, I was also relieved that I wasn't going to have to continue lying.

End Chapter

**A/N: Thanks for waiting…sorry if this chapter is a disappointment. Before you can ask, Freedom's sudden behavior is because he has become obsessed with Alice. He's decided to get her to be his at whatever cost, even if it means killing her so no one gets her…basically Freedom needs help. So I hope this is a decent explanation…I would also like to take time to suggest a book called **_**Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side**_** by: Beth Fantaskey. Someone suggested it to me and I really liked it so I thought I'd suggest it to everyone who reads this! =3 I'm always looking for a new book to read so if anyone has suggestions let me know. =D I love to read! Sayonara! =] **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

ALPOV:

When Jeb returned from talking to Doc he looked furious. "Isaiah, I want you to go get Freedom and take him to the game room. Jared, round everyone else up for a trial," commands Jeb before turning to me. "We'll get all of this sorted out sweetheart." With that said they all leave the room. I look over at Aiden who was watching me as Doc wrapped his twisted ankle.

"Are you okay, Aiden?" I ask eying his twisted ankle.

"I think I should be asking you that question," says Aiden coldly.

"I'll heal," I say quietly as I look down at the floor. I hadn't wanted to put Freedom on trial. I knew that if everyone decided that he was guilty enough that Jeb would shoot him, and I didn't want Freedom killed! I just wanted him to leave me alone and understand that I wasn't interested in him like that.

"Freedom isn't going to get shot, Alice," says Aiden. Sometimes it was like Aiden could read my mind.

"How can you be so sure, Aiden?" I ask incredulously. Everyone in the cave knew that Jeb wasn't afraid to pull the trigger if he had to. Our uncle Kyle had almost been shot when he tried to kill our mother back before we were born. It was even before she was in the body she had now.

"Freedom isn't a bad guy, sis. He's just...confused. I'm sure Jeb will come up with a suitable punishment for hurting you," says Aiden in a reassuring tone.

"I agree with your brother, Alice. Freedom isn't going to die today," says Doc as he stands up and walks over to his cabinet. He comes back with a container of No Pain. "Aiden, would you like some No Pain for your ankle?"

"Yes, please," says Aiden. Doc gives Aiden some No Pain before walking over to me and giving me some as well. He didn't have to ask to know that I needed it. I was probably going to need a lot of it if I expected to get to the end of the day with my injuries.

Just then mom and dad run in and over to me. "Are you okay?" asks mom as she looks me up and down.

"I'm gonna beat the shit outta that kid," growls Ian as he looks me over as well.

"I'll be fine. What about Aiden? He twisted his ankle," I say looking over at Aiden who was glaring at me. I knew he didn't want me to shift the attention to him. He wasn't worried about himself, he was worried about me, and he wanted everyone else to be worried about me too. He was content with being ignored. Of course mom and dad were worried about him too and went to his side to ask him what had happened.

"I just tripped. I'll be fine in a week or so. Alice is the real victim here," says Aiden. It was my turn to glare at Aiden; I was not a victim, and I didn't want to be treated like one. Then Isaiah comes in and was by my side again.

"Jeb's ready for the trial," says Isaiah. "He wanted me to bring you so you can testify." The thought of the river enters my mind again and I shudder.

"I can't," I whimper. It was bad enough that Freedom was being judged for what happened to me, but I wasn't about to tell everyone what really happened. He'd throw me into the river first chance he got, I was sure of it.

"Why can't you?" asks Isaiah. I shake my head, not willing to explain. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes as Freedom's threats fill my thoughts.

"Did he threaten you?" demands dad. I shake my head vehemently trying to deny it as sobs rack my body. Mom walks back to me and hugs me tightly.

"Everything is going to be okay, Alice. You don't have to be afraid to tell us anything. No one is going to let Freedom hurt you," says mom.

"You don't know that! I can't be watched every minute of the day! He'll get me when everyone least expects it!" I sob. It didn't occur to me at that moment that I had admitted to being threatened.

"What's the hold up?" demands Jeb as he walks into the room.

"Alice is afraid that Freedom will hurt her if she testifies," explains Isaiah. Jeb grunts and walks over to me.

"Now you listen to ol' grampa Jeb. No one is going to be hurting you for testifying against Freedom. Especially not Freedom himself. So get your head together and c'mon," says Jeb before walking back out. I wipe my tears away and get down from the cot before walking over to Isaiah and taking his hand in mine. Isaiah seemed to understand that I needed him at this moment, because he gives my hand a gentle squeeze before pulling me closer to his side.

"I promise to stay by your side the whole time. Even when you testify," says Isaiah. I nod and tighten my grip on Isaiah even more. Dad clears his throat.

"Alice—"

"Hush Ian. Let her do what she wants," says mom. Dad grumbles something, but doesn't try to stop me from being with Isaiah as we make our way to the game room for the trial.

When we get there Freedom was sitting between uncle Kyle and uncle Jared. As soon as he sees me he glares and mouths the word "river". I whimper and take a step back. Isaiah notices and stops to look at me.

"What's wrong?" asks Isaiah.

"I can't...," I whimper.

"Okay, now that we're all here..." begins Jeb. Immediately everyone becomes quiet. "We're here because Freedom is accused of badly injuring Alice and threatening to kill her. Alice, would you like to tell everyone exactly what happened?" asks Jeb.

"I can't!" I sob before turning and running out of the room.

"Allie!" I hear Isaiah call from behind me, but I didn't slow down or stop as I ran back to my room and sit down on my bed as sobs rack my body. It wasn't long before a set of arms were wrapping around me and I could smell Isaiah's familiar scent as he held me to his chest. He doesn't say anything as I cried into his chest. I was scared. Freedom knew it was my fault that he was getting into trouble. He knew that I told on him. He was going to throw me into the river! Soon the sobs subside and I was able to pull away from Isaiah.

"Thank you," I whisper.

"I didn't do anything, Allie," says Isaiah.

"You're here," I whisper, blushing. Isaiah chuckles and kisses my forehead.

"I'm always going to be here for you, Allie," says Isaiah with such conviction in his voice that I believed him.

"I know," I whisper as I lay my head on his chest.

"So, why did you run?" asks Isaiah.

"Freedom..." I admit.

"What did he do?" asks Isaiah.

"He reminded me of the river," I whisper, new sobs threatening to break through.

"That will never happen, Allie. I won't let it. I'll throw Freedom into the river before he gets to hurt you ever again," says Isaiah as his embrace around me tightens. I sob again.

"Please don't hurt your brother, Isaiah. Please!" I beg. Isaiah begins rocking me as he rubs my back, trying to soothe me.

"Promise me, Isaiah!" I beg.

"I won't," says Isaiah. I nod my head not catching that 'I won't' could have meant 'I won't hurt Freedom' or 'I won't promise not to hurt Freedom.' . "You should rest, Allie. I'll be here when you wake up."

"But my dad..." I mumble already half asleep. Isaiah chuckles.

"Your dad isn't that scary Allie. I won't let him get rid of me," says Isaiah. Then he said something else, but I was already asleep.

"Alice, it's time to go," says a familiar voice as I'm gently shaken awake. I look up drowsily and see Jared and dad standing over me. I gasp and look around and find that Isaiah is sitting next to me with a worried expression on his face.

"Go where?" I ask warily.

"To the hospital," says dad looking pointedly at my broken arm. I gasp as I remember that my arm was broken. Remembering only seemed to bring the pain back and tears well up in my eyes. It hurt so much.

"Can Isaiah come with me?" I plead looking back at Isaiah.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," says Jared.

"Then I'm not going," I say stubbornly, but the effect I wanted was weakened by my tears.

"Alice, you have to go," says Isaiah.

"Not without you!" I argue. Jared groans and looks at me with a frown on his face.

"Fine, come on, we can't waste time," says Jared. With that said he walks out of the room. Dad glares at Isaiah before following him. Isaiah stands up and pulls me to my feet and we walk out of my room. Mom was standing next to dad and Jared.

"How do you feel?" asks Mom.

"My arm hurts," I admit. I was still crying a little.

"We'll get you to the hospital, but it'll still be a little while," says mom apologetically.

"Okay," I whisper. It wasn't much longer after that that Jared, mom, dad, Isaiah, and I were in the jeep and mom was driving us down a highway. Dad was sitting in the back between Isaiah and I and had his arm wrapped around me. I was getting angrier as the trip progressed and I could see Isaiah scowling at my dad out of the corner of my eye.

"Dad, I wanted to sit next to Isaiah," I whine for what felt like the hundredth time.

"You should have gotten in faster then, sweetheart," says Dad. "It's too late to change spots now." I glare at dad for a moment before turning my head to look out the window. I was the first one in the jeep! Isaiah was about to get in next to me, but dad pushed him out of the way and jumped into the middle seat so Isaiah had to sit on the other side of him.

"You're being immature, dad!" I grumble. Dad seemed to choose to ignore my comment.

"You can sit next to Isaiah on the way back, sweetheart," says mom giving dad a look through the rear-view mirror. Now it was dad's turn to pout.

"But Wanda...!" he starts.

"You'll be sitting up front with me Ian O'Shea," says mom in a tone that left no room for argument. A couple of hours later we were in the parking lot of a hospital. The plan was for mom and I to go into the hospital alone, the others were to stay just in case. When we got inside the woman at the reception desk took one look at my arm and was horrified.

"Oh dear what happened to you?" she asks before picking up a microphone. "I need a hearler out here immediately!"

"I'm afraid that my daughter, Sunshine Reflected in the Water, fell out of a tree and broke her arm. I put a splint on it so that she didn't injure it further," says mom. As I listened I had to refrain from rolling my eyes. What kind of name was Sunshine Reflected in the Water? I was glad it wasn't really my name. Then a second woman comes in and sees me.

"Right this way please," she says. I nod and follow the woman into a small room.

"My name it Kathy, and I will be your healer. Can you tell me your name?" she asks.

"It's Sunshine Reflected in the Water, but you can call me Sunny," I say as Kathy walks over to a cabinet and comes back with a bottle of No Pain.

"Okay, Sunny. I'm sure you must be in a great deal of pain so I'm going to give you some No Pain and then we'll get your arm x-rayed," says Kathy as she hands me a piece of no pain and a glass of water.

After the x-ray Kathy had to reposition my arm so that the two broken ends were lined up correctly, and then she gave me something to drink called Repair. After a few minutes Kathy lets go of my arm and smiles at me. "How's that?" she asks. I was confused, but I try to move my arm and find that I could!

"I can move it!" I say excitedly. Kathy smiles and nods.

"Yes. It was a pleasure healing you, Sunny. Take care, okay?" she asks.

"I promise," I say before getting up and leaving the room. When I got back out to the waiting room my mom wasn't there. I look around worried that something had happened, that I had missed something important while I was getting my arm fixed. I go to the receptionist who was reading a book.

"Excuse me, have you seen my mother?" I ask. The receptionist looks up at me and smiles.

"You're healed? That was quick. Your mother asked to speak to a healer. You may have a seat, she won't be long," says the receptionist.

"Thank you," I say before walking to a chair and sitting down. I didn't have to wait much longer for mom to come back, and when she did she looked really happy about something.

"Are you healed already?" asks mom. I nod and she smiles. "Let's go then. Thank you, Weaver."

"You are very welcome Rider," says the receptionist. When we go back out to the jeep dad was up front and Jared and Isaiah were in the back seat.

"How did it go?" asks dad when we get in.

"That didn't take very long," says Jared.

"I know right? All I had to do was get an X-ray and drink some stuff! We would have been out here sooner, but I had to wait for mom," I say.

"Why? Are you sick Wanda?" asks dad looking at mom with a worried expression.

"No, Ian. I'm perfectly healthy," says mom as she starts the car and begins driving.

"So why did Alice have to wait for you?" asks dad.

"Well, remember the last time I went to the healer? It's just like that," says mom causing dad to gasp and his face to break into a huge grin.

"Really?" he asks. When mom nods dad cheers loudly before reaching over to hug mom.

"I don't get it...," I say warily.

"You're going to be a big sister, Alice!" says dad excitedly.

End Chapter

**A/N: Yay, finally updated Growing Up! Sorry it took me so long...Thanks for reading! Anyway, I got the idea to make Wanda a mom while I was at work...Yeah...I work 12 hours and the most thinking I do is when I count to 12...needless to say I have lots of time to daydream while I'm at work...12 whole hours of daydreaming! That's some dangerous stuff right there. But it gives me time to think up ideas for my story. Next chapter we'll find out Freedom's punishment (since I forgot to add it to this chapter. Let's just say Alice was more worried about her arm than Freedom.) Also, Alice and Isaiah start spending more time together and there will be a new cave member! Jamie will be getting a new friend! And as soon as I go back through my reviews I'll figure out who I'm supposed to be giving credit to for this particular idea. Sorry to whoever it was...Oh and kind of off topic here...I bought Eclipse! Yeah, totally amazing! Jasper was totally hott! Yeah...forget Edward and Jake, I'm Team Jasper! Oh...and has anyone heard anymore about The Host becoming a movie? Stephenie Meyer hasn't really updated on that topic...I'm really curious about how it will turn out. And who will play Melanie/Wanda and Jared and everyone else...hmm... Please Review! Sayonara! =]**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**AlPOV:**

I couldn't believe it! I was going to be a big sister! I was so excited! "How far along are you?" I ask, excitedly.

"The doctor said that I was 12 weeks along," says Wanda, as she gently rubs her stomach. Now that she drew my attention to her stomach, I could tell that she was showing, just a little bit. "This time there is only one baby though."

"That's a relief. I'm not even sure how you're able to handle Aiden and I, let alone two more," I say, as I think back to some of the things we had done in the past. We had managed to get ourselves into trouble more than once. The fact that I was leaving the hospital, after breaking my arm, was proof of that. As though Isaiah could read my mind, he says:

"So, what's going on with you and Freedom? Why are you letting him get away with all of this? He tried to kill you, and you wouldn't speak against him. So what's going on?" he demands. Isaiah's questions effectively killed the happy mood caused my Wanda telling us that she was pregnant, and now everyone was looking at me with their eyes full of questions. Even Jared was staring at me through the rear view mirror. I didn't want to talk about the beatings and threats, I just wanted to go home and go to sleep.

"Is what he said really so bad?" asks Wanda, reaching back and lightly grabbing my knee in a comforting gesture.

"He said that if he couldn't have me, then no one could," I whisper, sadly. Isaiah pulls me tightly against his side and wraps his arms around me.

"You're safe here, Allie. He can't hear you," says Isaiah. For some reason, Isaiah's words and actions made me feel much better.

"He said that I belonged to him. He tried to..." the image of the river flashes before my eyes and I begin to cry.

"What did he try?" asks Jared.

"He was going to...th-throw me...into th-e ri-river," I manage to choke out between sobs.

"What?" demands Ian, angrily. "When did he say that?" For some reason hearing my father's anger just made me want to cry even harder.

"He didn't...j-ust say...it...he w-was g-going to," I whimper. Suddenly the car pulls over and stops, and everyone was staring at me with expressions ranging from horror to rage.

"HE DID WHAT?" demands Ian. I could see the rage building inside him. My mother on the other hand, looked horrified.

"When we get back I'm getting Jeb's gun and shooting that little bastard," growls Jared.

"Not if I beat you to it," snarls Ian.

"Shooting him isn't the answer," says Wanda, looking frightened. She never did like violence, and I didn't either, so as much as I disliked Freedom at the moment, I didn't want him killed.

"You can't kill him," I whimper.

"I understand how you guys feel, I'm pissed off about this situation also, but Freedom's my little brother, you can't kill him," argues Isaiah. "Just let me go in there and beat the hell out of him. That should teach him."

"I don't think that anyone should be beating up anyone," I chime in. Suddenly everyone's expressions turned to that of incredulity. "I know that Freedom hurt me, but maybe if someone spoke to him, and explained to him that what he was doing was wrong..." I trail off as Jared and Ian begin shaking their heads.

"She has a point. Maybe his mom can speak with him," says Wanda.

"Maybe Jeb should speak to him," grumbles Isaiah. Suddenly there's a knock on the car window and everyone jumps as though they had been electrocuted. When we all look out the window there was a man standing there looking apologetic. Jared rolls down the window and the man begins to speak.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. My name is Kevin, and I was just coming over to ask if You needed any help. I noticed that your car was pulled up to the curb."

"Oh, no, we were stopping because my daughter thought that she might be getting ill," says Wanda, motioning towards me. Kevin looks back at me, and I do my best to look as though I wasn't feeling good.

"She gets car sick easily," says Ian, causing me to blush. I did _not_ get car sick, easily.

"Would you like some 'Settle' for your stomach?" asks Kevin. "I always keep a bottle in my glove compartment, because I sometimes get a little car sick too."

"Um, no thank you. I'm beginning to feel better already," I say, quietly.

"Alright. Well, if there isn't anything that you need, I suppose I'll be on my way. Be careful getting wherever it is that you're going. I hope you feel better soon," says Kevin.

"Thank you, Kevin," says Wanda. Kevin smiles and walks back to his car, before driving away.

"We should get off of the road and go home before a seeker shows up," says Wanda.

"Right," says Jared, as he pulls back onto the road and begins driving again. It didn't take us long, after that, to get back to the caves. When we got there Melanie, Jamie, Jeb, and Aiden were waiting for us.

"Welcome back! Is everything okay? Did you get a cast?" asks Melanie, as she approaches me and looks at both of my arms. I could see her confusion when she found no cast.

"I didn't need one. The doctor gave me some stuff to drink and it healed right up," I say, moving my arm to prove my point.

"Well, it's good to see that you're okay again," says Jeb, with a grin. Then Aiden comes up and hugs me tightly, and I could feel his relief. He had obviously been extremely worried about me.

"Don't _ever_ scare me like that again," says Aiden, as he holds me even tighter.

"I'm sorry," I say, as I hug him back. I could feel my tears beginning to stream down my face and I bury my face in his shoulder and begin to sob once more. It was like everything that had happened today had finally caught up to me, and I couldn't believe that it had only been one day.

This had been one hell of a day.

"Come on, lets go to bed, I'm tired, and I'm sure you are too," whispers Aiden, not releasing his hold on me. I nod without moving away from Aiden. "You ready?" asks Aiden. He obviously wanted to get moving, but I just wanted to stand there and cry on his shoulder.

"Get going you two. Your parents, Isaiah, Jared, and I need to go have a little chat anyway," says Jeb.

"We're going," I mumble into Aiden's shoulder, causing him to chuckle.

"We'll get there, somehow," says Aiden, and I could hear the smile in his voice. Wanda walks over to us and kisses both of our cheeks.

"Good night," says Wanda. "In the morning I have good news for you." I already knew the news, but I wasn't about to spoil it for Aiden, but I knew he would be just as thrilled as I was. Ian walks over and wraps us both in a bear hug.

"Night kids," he says, before letting us go and following Wanda. Isaiah walks over to us next and kisses my cheek, causing me to blush.

"Don't you worry about Freedom. We'll take care of him, he won't be hurting you anymore," says Isaiah, before gripping my shoulder reassuringly and walking away. Jeb and Jared had already gone, and Jamie and Melanie were also heading to bed.

"Now are you ready to go?" asks Aiden. I nod, but I just couldn't find it in me to walk anymore. The day had been emotionally and physically draining, and holding onto Aiden was the only thing keeping me standing.

"I can't walk anymore," I admit, weakly, This causes Aiden to sigh heavily before releasing his hold on me and turning so his back was to me.

"Climb on, and I'll carry you back to our room," says Aiden.

"Can we stop at the toilet on the way?" I ask, as I wrap my arms around him and get onto Aiden's back. Aiden groans, but nods his head.

"If you must," sighs Aiden, as he begins walking.

When we got to our room Aiden drops me off at my bed before walking over to our pile of clothes and tossing me some pajamas, before walking out so that I could change. Once I was changed, I call him back in and he enters the room in just his boxers, his clothes were draped over his arm, and when he reaches his bed he drops them into his dirty clothes pile.

"Thank you, Aiden, for carrying me. I'm sorry you had to do that," I say, as I lay down and get comfortable.

"No problem, Alice. You should get some rest now," says Aiden, as he crawls into his own bed.

After the light is turned off, I fall asleep, only to awake screaming, a couple hours later after having a nightmare about Freedom throwing me into the river.

End Chapter

**A/N: Thank you for reading...at least...I hope someone read this...I would totally understand if no one did. Okay, so...youre all probably wondering WTF? Right? Well, for one, I work...and after working 12 hours, the last thing I want to do is write...for two...lack of inspiration...idk why, but I haven't been into Stephenie Meyer as much lately. Shame on me, right? It's hard to get into a story when you've kind of stopped liking the series as much...which brings me to the question some of you might be asking. "why is she writing a new fanfic when she hasn't finished the old ones?" For those of you who don't know, I'm writing a Fullmetal Alchemist fanfic called Far From Home...Fullmetal Alchemist (and anime in general) is my new obsession at the moment, so I've been more willing to work on that...I know, I'm a horrible person, I'm sorry, but at least I have updated. I swear I will finish all of my sequels...I just don't know when. **

**Also, another reason I haven't updated, is because I wanted to get a little bit better at writing, so I've been practicing...I've found that my main problem is impatience. I want to get to the good parts, so I overlook the boring, but important, stuff, and don't add it...So, I wrote some stupid stuff that isn't important, and it helped me to have a little more patience. Hopefully I was able to reflect that in this chapter...**

**onto the chapter...I hope you liked it. I know I made you wait a really long time, so I hope it's worth it. In the next chapter...hopefully we find out what's up with Freedom...I say 'we', because I just start typing and see where it gets me...I never have any real plans for a story, so I have about as much of an idea as to how this will end, as you do. **

**As always, questions, comments, suggestions? Liked it? Hated it? Let me know in the form of a review! Sayonara! =]**


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